Vodafone UK Extend Unlimited Data to Mobile Broadband Plans
Mobile operator Vodafone UK has finally extended their range of “unlimited data” plans for 4G and 5G services to include their dedicated Mobile Broadband packages (i.e. data only SIMs, tablets, USB dongles and Mi-Fi routers). Monthly prices for the new plans start from £28 per month.
Strictly speaking we don’t think there was ever anything particular to stop Vodafone’s customers from using the standard unlimited data based mobile SIMs inside Mobile Broadband devices, but we’ll overlook that for now. Unsurprisingly their dedicated unlimited data SIMs are otherwise the same price but won’t benefit from unlimited calls and texts.
Instead customers are given a choice of two plans (the 2Mbps speed capped “Unlimited Lite” plan is nowhere to be seen). Both come with a 12 month contract when taken in the data-SIM only form, although you can take them on a 30 day term too but you’ll pay an additional £4 per month for the shorter contract.
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Separately the operator said they were also launching a range of 24-month SIM-only mobile plans to give customers better value (you can save between £1-3 per month vs a 12 month term) and as much choice as possible when selecting a new plan.
Customers who purchase a SIM-only plan will have the flexibility of upgrading to a handset plan after three months should they wish to. However we generally urge caution when it comes to 24 month terms as you can easily become trapped by such a long period.
Max Taylor, Vodafone’s Consumer Director, said:
“We launched our market-leading range of Unlimited mobile tariffs last year and now we expand Unlimited to include Mobile Broadband plans. Our customers are empowered to do more of what they love, wherever they may be on the UK’s best mobile data network.”
End.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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They better get a move on and roll-out LTE+ (LTE-A) coverage then!!!
Still stuck on only 10MHz or band 20 LTE (800MHz) which only has a per cell capacity of 75/25Mbps.
Ideally we need carrier aggregation of at least 1x 20Mhz band added to this. This would raise the per cell capacity to 225/75Mbps. or better yet 3-CA (10Mhz + 20Mhz + 20Mhz (SDL) = 375/75Mbps.
Vodaphone better get with the program GIFFGAFF do unlimited sim data plans for £20 a month and I’ve been with Vodafone for 10 years now but I’m leaving for GIFFGAFF so adios
They are so rubbish around here – and all they have done is just catch up with themselves. And undercut themselves – Voxi does that with 5G for £30 a month (well now £35) and when you have unlimited data having zero rated anything seems pointless.
It’s been reported that all Voxi sims are currently giving unlimited data, even the £10 per month one. It’s supposed to be unlimited social media only, but reports suggest they haven’t been able to apply that restriction yet. I haven’t tested it myself.
I agree with the other comments, unlimited data has crippled Vodafone in the east. Some cells can’t stream Spotify at peak times, while a vast amount of Vodafone’s radio spectrum still lies unused.
I can confirm that some but not all Voxi Sims have a broken data counter.
I’ve used the £30 pacakge and I can confirm on the lowest one it’s unlimited.
The best sim I have had outside of EE is Virgin Mobile’s Unlimited which they give free with their package – but they also want £32 a month for it if you have TV but not mobile – why someone would do that when EE gives you unlimited at full speed for £34 and VM is restricted I don’t know -0 but they should give people who have left the option to keep it – it was the best I ever had and I did well over 2TB on it in a month – so defo up there with Voda’s 3.5TB and above EE’s pathetic 1TB limit.
I’m not sure how 1TB is pathetic for a mobile connection?
I do around 2TB per month over my 2 FTTC but I wouldn’t call 1TB pathetic at all, especially as if you breach it, the worst that can happen (as I understand it) is they will move you to their business tariff which can actually work out cheaper.
Regarding VOXI – they did have a working counter for non social apps but currently everyone has unlimited data while ‘they work on it’
What is Three’s maximum fair usage limit? EE business plan is actually more expensive for a single user.
The problem with all the unlimited data SIMS is that many masts are becoming totally congested – even rural masts. Where I am, as there are few broadband options people have all piled onto unlimited data SIMS with the result of degrading performance to pitiful levels. Heavier users who may previously avoided capped SIMS and used other means are now flooding the limited capacity. When I first got a Vfe unlimited data SIM the 4G performance was acceptable, a couple of months on and it is a disaster as people have taken it up and ditched their pitiful ~3Mbs ADSL we get around here.
F
Can you not get the satellite grant? that would help you?
Most rural masts haven’t been upgraded (carrier aggregation), hardware/backhaul shared by multiple providers and they also tend to not be using the full 4G spectrum available, the end result is a congested service as people flee DSL, unlimited sims being the final nail in the coffin.
You’d have thought at least one of these networks would have realised what would happen when you offer a significantly faster service in internet deprived areas and planned ahead…
@Mike You would have thought. Three had already proven it couldn’t be done well, despite having more 4G spectrum deployed than Vodafone in places.
It is entirely predictable that anywhere remotely urban, unlimited 4G that’s faster than prevailing fixed broadband speeds in the area will get congested until it isn’t, unless it’s priced at a significant premium to fixed line broadband.
@David
Truespeed are laying fibre down my road next week 🙂 Will be a few weeks / months before houses are connected up but not long now…..
I will keep the LTE router and antenna on chimney as a fallback should Truespeed go down. I work from home so having a backup is useful. I won’t bother with a second subscription though, just borrow the SIM from my phone and put in router if Truespeed has an outage.
F
@Fred
Well played Sir 🙂
I had a look at these “unlimited data” Vodafone contracts a couple of days ago and saw the 2Mbits/sec maximum connection speed. This is pretty pathetic in all honesty and cannot understand why anyone would go with that, it’s slower than HSDPA. Would it even play back videos on Facebook at an acceptable resolution?
The 2Mbps tariff is only really meant for heavy email and web browsing. 10 Mbps for light video use and full speed for those that want and will pay for it.
Vodafone can’t reach 2Mbps at peak time near me, so I could argue it’s the 10Mbps and unlimited speed sims that make no sense. At least until they can persuade O2 to upgrade more sites with band 7 and the rest of the Vodafone spectrum.
Why on earth would you pay £33 for data only when you can get the unlimited max phone sim for £30 which does the exact same thing and even gives you unlimited mins and texts if you want to use them…
The 12 month phone sim went up to £33 from today. Though still a valid question.
I’d rather pay £34 for an EE unlimited sim than Vodafones inferior and rumoured-to-be throttled service.
I agree Mike
over 500mbps here when tested on 4G – and soon to be getting 5G so I have higher hopes for that. And the fact any unlocked phone will do wifi calling and VoLTE without buggy software is a bonus. My fav network is EE and £34 is a bargain (£42 for 5G I am told when I upgrade)
Great news, shame masts around here are still 2G only. Great being stuck in 1990.
Where you living on top of a mountain??
Misleading the lesser technological folks out there! Ofcom did something about data and phone sims a while back thus stopping carriers telling users what device their SIM can be used in making data prices cheaper for all and abolishing the need for data sims. Why do they still sell them at a increased price is what I’m interested in…
Francis D Oglesby no, just in an area where they haven’t been upgraded, possibly due to backhaul or some other technological issues? Locals don’t want a mast built nearer the town because of health issues, so we rely on a weak mast some miles away.
EE cheaper £34 a month with a 20 percent discount code on ebay taking your monthly charge down to £27 win win
I hope 24 month Sim Only contracts don’t become the norm.